Finding a pharmacist or eye doctor in rural northern Michigan can be a challenge — and for years, many residents have had to travel long distances just to access basic healthcare. A new academic partnership is working to change that by keeping local students home and training them to fill critical healthcare gaps in their own communities.
Ferris State University and North Central Michigan College have announced a transfer agreement designed to funnel more students from the region into pharmacy and optometry careers. Under the deal, students who complete an associate in science biology degree at North Central can transfer directly into Ferris State’s Doctor of Pharmacy or Optometry programs — two of the most in-demand healthcare fields across the Northern Lower Peninsula.
David Murray, associate vice president of marketing and communications at Ferris State, said the collaboration grew out of North Central’s recognition that the region was facing a shortage of qualified healthcare providers.
“They recognized that these were areas of need up in northern Michigan and that we can help create or develop the talent for people to work in those fields,”
Murray said.
“That’s great for those communities because they need people with these skills to serve that population.”
Keeping Local Talent Local
One of the core goals of the partnership is to address a familiar pattern in rural communities: young people leaving home to pursue education and careers, then never returning. Murray said the program is specifically designed to give northern Michigan students a reason to stay — or come back.
“People sometimes feel they have to leave to get jobs or… they aren’t able to come back and stay where they want to live,”
he said.
“We are blessed to be able to have the programs to develop the skills and have people serve in those areas.”
For students who want to build a life in northern Michigan, the transfer pathway removes a major barrier. Rather than relocating to pursue a graduate-level healthcare degree from the start, they can begin at a local community college and transition into Ferris State’s specialized programs after earning their associate degree.
Programs With a Proven Track Record
Ferris State brings significant institutional weight to the agreement. Its pharmacy program is one of only three in the entire state of Michigan, and until 2025, its optometry program was the only one in Michigan. That depth of experience positions Ferris State as a natural partner for communities looking to grow their healthcare workforce.
This kind of transfer collaboration is not new territory for the university. Ferris State has maintained a long-standing partnership with Grand Rapids Community College, with students transferring from GRCC to Ferris State dating back to 1986. The new agreement with North Central follows a similar model and reflects a broader institutional commitment to accessible education pathways across Michigan.
According to local and regional reporting, North Central has shown steady momentum in recent years — the college saw an 8.6% increase in credit hour enrollment in early 2023, signaling growing student interest that programs like this one are well-positioned to serve.
The current transfer agreement is set for a three-year term, with the possibility of renewal depending on how the program develops. For northern Michigan communities that have long struggled with healthcare access, that window represents a meaningful opportunity to begin building a more sustainable local workforce — one graduate at a time.
Listeners in central and northern Michigan can follow ongoing coverage of stories like this through WCMU’s Weekly News Podcast, which covers regional developments every Saturday morning. Additional context on Ferris State’s institutional leadership and direction can be found in earlier coverage, including reporting on Ferris State University welcoming new President Bill Pink in 2022, as reported by Rick Brewer. Enrollment trend reporting by Jill Harrington also provides useful background on North Central’s recent growth. Original reporting on this partnership was filed by Kenadie Mlujeak for WCMU.
